Okay, Tony Lombardo gave me this fine looking RC Electric Boat Satuday, 10-06-2012 and I wasted no time and went crazy going to the local Hobby Shops before they closed on Saturday and came home and performed an All Nighter (no sleep) and was able to finish the model for operation and test runs.

Here are a few pictures during the night in getting a large 600 size Brushed motor and Traxxas 15XL ESC inside the Model.

Terminator connectors, I decided to install 4mm Bullet Connectors to match up with the Traxxas XL-5 ESC.

Since the Traxxas XL-5 Brushed ESC is Air Cool with the Large Heat Sink, I made up a Lite Plywood Decking that sits inside the Control Bridge of the model for maximum Air Flow over the Heat Sink and it worked flawlessly!!!

I got really lucky as the ESC went in without any trimming of the side windows as this was the largest opening into the Control Bridge! You had to just be patient and in it went!

As a result of placing the ESC, the location of the Receiver was easy and used a plastic bag just in case water gets splashed on the unit as it is right at the window area!!!

Of course, Tony did not realize that I was going to run the Boat using 3-Cell, 3700mAH, "25C Discharge" Li-POLY Batteries (Parallel) and the initial thoughts were nice and easy with Ni-MH's so, the model was retrofitted with the geared 600 brushed motor without any Coiled Cooling System.

During the third run of the model at our Moon Port Modelers RC Club in Titusville, Florida and for additional Photo Shoot session, Tony gave me back the controls and I noticed the motor did not have the Punch it exhibited during gradual throttle run ups so, I brought it to shore quickly. Yeap, the motor was very HOT to the touch and you could not keep your fingers on it.

I disconnected everything and turned off the radio system and fortunately the motor did not exhibit the "Burn" Smell yet and I blew on it continuously (like if that was going to do anything....).

We went back to Tony's place and wasted no time and Tony once again exhibited the Master Builder that he is and quickly made up a new Motor Bracket such that will allow Coiled Water Cooling for the motor.

Nice looking Rescue Boat and the upgrades seem to have made a huge improvement. That's a Dumas kit, I know as I have one sitting on the shelf. Maybe some day it will be put together. What is the gear ratio of the 600 motor yu installed by the way?

Nice looking Rescue Boat and the upgrades seem to have made a huge improvement. That's a Dumas kit, I know as I have one sitting on the shelf. Maybe some day it will be put together. What is the gear ratio of the 600 motor yu installed by the way?

Bob

Hi Bob,

Went back to the boat and carefully counted teeth

Motor Pinion Gear Count: 18

Gearbox Spur Gear Count: 38

Therefore, the motor has to turn 2.11 revolutions for each complete rotation of the Spur Gear (Propeller).

A few items that really bothered me during the Current Measurements while the model was in the Bath Tub. Ordinarily, one does not see the actual workings of the Power System while it is in water since the model is covered and moving away from you. Well, last night I had the opportunity to really watch and hear the power system and concluded the following:

1. The "No-Name" gearbox had to go since spare parts just could not be found and because the Gearbox Spur Gear was really worn and it vibrated the entire assembly at moderate speeds and including high RPMs.

2. I looked all over my hobby drawers and found a brand new Airplane Gearbox known as the Electrifly (Great Planes) GD-600 and I believe it is the 2.5:1 ratio.

3. The Rudder travel was fixed as reported earlier using a new Rudder Servo Arm and located the push rod assembly at a farther hole and that did the trick.

A few pictures of the new GD-600 Gearbox with the Stock Brushed 600 size motor.

Got the new GD-600 Gearbox and Brushed 600 size motor re-installed on the Coast Guard Rescue Ship. Had an opportunity to test "Dry" Run it and sound like a Turbine at High RPMs and best of all, super smooth!

Seems like I will need to Test Run the model back in the bath Tub once again to get new AMP (Current) draw measurements using the new GD-600 Gearbox with the 2.5:1 ratio and noting that it is much smoother and hopefully the results are going to be nothing over 15 - 17 AMPs at wide open.

Once again, this shows how meticulous and detailed you are about the hobby, it is evident it is now been transfered to boats as well!!...and the documentation is very helpful!!.
I really like this boat, yes I like the PT311...but I think this one is my favorite so far.

Can't wait to see it crusing about some day soon.

For airplanes I say "happy landings"...here I must say "anchors away"...

The straighter the connection between the motor and the drive shaft the less noise you will hear from the dog bone. Also, and maybe more importantly, the straighter the connection, the less "drag" on the drive and the lower will be the current draw on the motor because it doesn't have to work as hard to give the same performance.

I noticed in the video that the motor is higher than the drive shaft. If you can lower it so that the motor is in line with the drive shaft in both vertical and horizontal planes your motor will run more efficiently and there will be less noise.

This is exactly what I covered in my Video of the "Dry" Test run from this morning.

I carefully angled the motor/gearbox assembly several times until the motor/gearbox and Universal Joint could spin at effortless manner without any hard points spots of stiffness. I did not start the Video until then.

The noise is just normal vibrations coming from the Dog Bone as it is in there somewhat snug and not tight so, it maybe creating some vibrations as it shifts a little.

As a matter of fact, the motor/gearbox assembly was at a higher angle with the previous Gearbox with the ruined Spur Gear and the angle was even more at a critical angle.

I hope and suspect that the up-and-coming "WET" Current Measurement in Bath Tub will exhibit even lower AMP Draw, not only taking account of the better angles but, realizing the more gearbox ratio of 2.5:1

All I had to do is place a small folded up double sticky foam tape and keeping the adhesive cover and placed it underneath the bottom end of the plastic gearbox frame (part does not get hot) and the motor was raised enough to keep the Universal / Dog Bone straight like an arrow!

Of course the Bath Tub was filled once again and this time I allowed the water to go up a few more inches and testing began while Video Recording.